Telford man on trial over historic child sex offences

A 64-year-old Telford man has gone on trial accused of abusing three young boys four decades ago.

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Leslie Bryan, of Burton Close, Dawley, denies 14 charges of historic sexual abuse in Essex involving the three boys who were then aged between nine and 16.

Prosecutor David Wilson claimed at Chelmsford Crown Court: “They were vulnerable boys in no position to object to the behaviour and the defendant knew and preyed upon them.

“We say the abuse was systematic and persistent.”

The jury of eight women and four men heard that Bryan, who was 21 at the time, abused the boys over a number of years.

The prosecutor said that one alleged victim ‘plucked up the courage’ to speak to someone at the time.

But he continued: “He was not believed when he spoke to social workers and the police and in fact was given quite a hard time by police about it and told it was not something which would be taken forward.”

Bryan was arrested and interviewed but no further action was taken at that stage, he added. However allegations were reported to Essex Police again in November 2016.

“Our case is that the defendant took advantage of vulnerable boys, to sexually abuse them,” Mr Wilson told the jurors.

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Bryan denies offences relating to each of the three alleged victims. He is charged with four offences of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child concerning the youngest complainant between 1976 and 1982; and five of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child concerning the oldest, between 1975 and 1980.

He also denies two offences of indecently assaulting the third boy over a four-month period in 1981. He claims in his defence the abuse allegations are fabricated and that there might be collusion between the complainants.

Bryan also claims he was physically incapable of some of the acts described.

When interviewed by police in December 2016, Bryan denied all the allegations and said he could not understand why they had been made. He told officers that at the time of the allegations he was on anti-depressive medication which affected his libido.